Boy Scouts spend a week in the wood for leadership training

Canfield students hopes to share skills

June 19, 2014

Last Thursday, 49 Boy Scouts from Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Trumbull and Mahoning counties came together at Stambaugh Boy Scout Camp in Canfield Township as part of the National Youth Leadership Training program.

The week-long program was designed to give scouts ages 14-18 an opportunity to learn valuable leadership skills they can take back to their own troops and use later in life.

Walter Danko, quartermaster from Champion, said the program featured leadership presentations and team building exercises.

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Photo by J.T. Whitehouse, Town CrierBoy Scout Kyle Levine of Canfield and Skylar Mulligan of Niles makes their way through the woods at Stambaugh Boy Scout Camp last Thursday. It was the first day of a week-long leadership training program that gave older Scouts an opportunity to learn leadership skills.

''They will put their training to use by hiking over the neighboring Camp Akela, where they will set up a camp and spend the night, Danko said.

The program also included members of Venture Crew, a co-ed program under Boy Scouts. Several girls were involved in the training, and all received a badge for completing the program.

''Some of the key things they will learn is how to resolve conflicts and making ethical decisions,'' Danko said.

The adventure included a night in the woods. Each unit made their way to Camp Akela, just west of Camp Stambaugh, where they set up camp without a Scout leader to advise them.

''They will have to go by themselves and set up a camp,'' Danko said. ''They will have to build a fire, cook their own meals, and hold a flag ceremony and a church service.''

To be eligible for the program, a Boy Scout must first have achieved a first-class rank and be at least 13 years old. A Venture Crew must be between the ages of 14-17. All must have a level of outdoor cooking experience.

The only local Scout in attendance was Kyle Levine from Youngstown Troop 55 out of the First Presbyterian Church. He is 16 and will be a junior at Canfield High School this fall.

''I have been to week-long summer camps before, but never anything like this,'' he said. ''I want to come away from the week with better leadership skills that I can bring back to my troop and share with the younger Scouts.''